1
as in bland
lacking in qualities that make for spirit and character
a milk-and-water campaign speech that most likely did not inspire a single person
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in weak
lacking strength of will or character
we need to elect a leader with a bold vision, not someone who's been a milk-and-water yes-man all his life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for milk-and-water
Adjective
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Democrat Gray Davis, to name a recent example, had an extensive background in government and politics and a bland demeanor that suggested his first name was also a fitting adjective.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Jan. 2026 -
Is there an unwritten rule about being a bland professional and not showing any personality?—
Kevin Kurz,
New York Times,
3 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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New orders contracted for a fourth month and export bookings remained weak, based on the ISM data.—
Reade Pickert Bloomberg,
Arkansas Online,
6 Jan. 2026
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Getting too little of either can lead to weak, brittle bones, and too much can also cause problems (like kidney stones or nausea).—
T'Keyah Bazin,
Verywell Health,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Yes, the rich women went to Sedona on Sutton’s private plane, but before that there were a few scenes back in boring old Los Angeles.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
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Disease prevention should be boring, routine, expected, and easy to access.—
Uché Blackstock,
Time,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The hardware is built for intimacy, pairing a soft exterior with full-body sensors that react to a user’s touch on its head or neck.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Jan. 2026
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So uncompromising as to turn hard heads into soft behinds.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Measles symptoms can appear between seven and 21 days after exposure and may include high fever, cough, runny nose, red watery eyes, white spots inside the mouth and a red blotchy rash that typically starts on the face and spreads downward.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
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Croatia's Plitvice Lakes National Park is a watery wonder, brimming with 16 lakes, plus on-land trails for hiking or horseback riding.—
Elizabeth Cantrell,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Lord & Taylor shut all its stores in 2019 after HBC sold the weakened retailer, and Hudson’s Bay in Canada liquidated last year, ending its 355-year run.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
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Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in infants, young children, older people, pregnant persons, and those with weakened immune systems.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Throughout the film, which is visually impressive, but insipid in the story, there are countless small touches that bring us back to the original.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
31 Oct. 2025
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On the road, the Murano sidesteps the insipid CVT vibe of the past.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
17 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Set in Portland, Oregon, in a bleak, overpopulated near future, The Lathe of Heaven is built around the banal question What if your dreams came true?—
Erin Somers,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2026
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Crumb, at the time, would be dressed unremarkably casually, in banal pants and sweater, with thick glasses, looking more or less like a geek.—
David Zane Mairowitz,
Rolling Stone,
22 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Milk-and-water.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/milk-and-water. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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